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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (June 1, 2018)
145TH YEAR, NO. 239 RFK’S COASTAL CAMPAIGN The Daily Astorian The Morton Nelson Building, home of national retailer J.C. Penney until last summer, has been purchased by Sean Fitzpatrick and Anne Carpenter. Local apartment owner buys former J.C. Penney store Restaurants and retail planned By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian Sean Fitzpatrick and Anne Carpenter, the owners of the Illahee Apartments, have purchased the Morton Nelson Building, home of J.C. Penney until its closure last summer. Fitzpatrick and Chris- topher Holen, chef and co-owner of Baked Alaska, are planning a collection of restaurants and other retail vendors inside the Commer- cial Street building. The closure of J.C. Pen- ney last summer hit the downtown hard, Fitzpatrick said. “A lot of people approached me, asking me what I could do with the space,” he said. “I gave it considerable thought, but didn’t want to take it on by myself.” Fitzpatrick said Holen, a longtime friend, asked him one night what was needed in the building. “From the way he asked, I knew we were on the same page,” Fitzpatrick said. “I told him I had a very good idea about what was needed at the building, and if he was serious about working on it with me, we should move forward with it. We were on the same wavelength from the start.” The developers are gath- ering contractors to remodel the inside of the building, with a planned opening some time in the fall. J.C. Penney moved into the three-story Morton Nel- son Building in 1924 after a large fire gutted much of downtown, including the retailer’s prior location. The company announced last year it would close 130 to 140 stores amid competition from online and niche retail- ers, a similar issue faced by other large chain stores such as Sears and Macy’s. Port faces challenge in advancing airport Struggles over profit margin By EDWARD STRATTON The Daily Astorian WARRENTON — The Astoria Regional Airport, operated by the Port of Astoria in Warrenton, is pro- jected to make about $4,000 next year, not including cap- ital investments and grants. But Port staff say the slim profit margin doesn’t account for the cost of repairing the airport’s World War II-era infrastruc- ture and a myriad of other issues. Amid declining grant resources, Port staff are searching for ways to make more money at the air- port and repair a crumbling ONE DOLLAR WEEKEND EDITION // FRIDAY, JUNE 1, 2018 infrastructure that supports an estimated 400 jobs. Jim Knight, the Port’s executive director, said the airport in 2003 made an estimated $60,000 in prof- its. He pinned the airport’s declining fortunes over the past 15 years on sev- eral decisions that haven’t panned out financially. The Port in the mid- 2000s borrowed more than $3.5 million to expand and improve the aging hangars used by Lektro, a manu- facturer of electric airplane tugs. The company is one of the region’s few high-tech manufacturers and employs nearly 100 people. The Port makes a small profit from the Lektro lease over related debt, said Will Isom, the Port’s finance See PORT, Page 7A Shortly before his death, Kennedy found piece of home on North Coast By JACK HEFFERNAN The Daily Astorian azing at the Pacific Ocean near Fort Stevens State Park, Robert F. Kennedy’s nostalgia was apparent. “I can’t believe this is so much like home,” the Massachusetts native said. Soon after, he kicked off his shoes and socks, rolled up his dress pants and ran out toward the ocean. “You could tell he was like, ‘Oh my God. I needed this,’” said Rita Hankel Lerwick, a teenage volunteer for Kennedy’s Clatsop County cam- paign team. “I was just shocked.” On May 24, 1968, Kennedy vis- ited Astoria and other places along the coast during his bid for the Dem- ocratic presidential nomination in the Oregon primary. Less than two weeks later, after winning the Cal- ifornia primary on June 5, he was assassinated after a victory speech in Los Angeles. Witness accounts and news reports from the time reveal Kenne- dy’s visit to the coast caused a stir, making his sudden death shortly after especially poignant. Kennedy, who entered the race in March, announced May 20 that he would be visiting the Oregon Coast that Friday, beginning with a flight from Portland to the Astoria area. The next day, the campaign’s local headquarters was established on Marine Drive as the U.S. senator from New York toured other parts of the state. “He picked up momentum Wednesday for the Oregon Demo- cratic presidential nomination. He had overflow crowds at each of his five stops in Eastern Oregon, which is perhaps an indicator of Kennedy popularity, but certainly is an indica- tion of more aggressive staff work,” an Associated Press story from that week read. “Without crowds Ken- nedy could lose the image he’s try- ing to build. That is the image of a man who has so caught the imagi- nation of the people that they swarm to him.” Predominantly younger crowds G Photos by Clyde Keller/clydekellerphoto.com Robert F. Kennedy walks near the Peter Iredale shipwreck with his wife, Ethel, and dog, Freckles. MORE INSIDE Robert F. Kennedy’s visit to Astoria in photos “The ’60s were a real turbulent time,” Lerwick said. “We were just so for what he stood for.” Page 5A greeted Kennedy at his campaign stops. Lerwick, 16 and an Astoria High School student at the time, said his promises to reduce the country’s military presence in Vietnam, pro- civil rights stance and solutions to poverty appealed to her. ‘I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS SO MUCH LIKE HOME.’ Robert F. Kennedy ‘Common endeavor’ Kennedy’s plane landed near Astoria shortly before 11 a.m., about an hour later than expected. Hundreds of people were held back by Clatsop County Sher- iff’s Office deputies until the plane landed and they swarmed the tar- mac. After taking a few steps down the plane’s staircase, he grabbed a bullhorn and briefly addressed the crowd, describing “this beautiful part of this beautiful state” and urg- ing residents to “work together in a common endeavor.” He shook hands with spectators after descending the steps, prompt- ing one girl to cry, “I got to touch him.” Lerwick, who has a fondness for him still, wore a Kennedy cam- paign hat, a sash and a navy blue skirt. Kennedy, the news media, state officials and members of his cam- paign — including Lerwick — then waded through the crowd and See KENNEDY, Page 7A Robert F. Kennedy peers above a crowd in downtown Astoria on May 24, 1968. Family finds comfort in memory of Astoria man Oregon State Police are investigating the cause of the crash. Despite the cir- cumstances, the way Larson lived his By JACK HEFFERNAN life has given his family comfort. The Daily Astorian Larson’s father was a Swedish immi- On the final drive of his life, Dale grant who settled in Clatsop County in 1930. The second-genera- Larson was going home after tion Astorian was a longshore- taking care of his wife at an man and logger. He owned the assisted living residence. Fam- ily members say the trip’s pur- Lewis and Clark Shake Mill for pose was fitting. 46 years and worked until the day he died. “With the way everything Along the way, he employed went, it felt like he was still tak- many people. ing care of us,” said Robin Jen- Dale sen, his daughter. “They said he was like their Larson second dad and taught them Larson, 84, of Astoria, died Tuesday after his white Ford work ethic without saying a Escape crossed the centerline of U.S. word. He was truly gold,” Jensen said. Highway 101 north of Gearhart and See LARSON, Page 7A collided head-on with a pickup truck. Larson killed in crash Dale Larson was a second-generation Astorian with a large family.
